Puffball Perfection

Day 10: As unlikely as it might seem, many Puffballs are edible and some species are considered choice, but they must be picked when young, and care must be taken when cleaning them to ensure that the collector hasn't gathered any young Amanitas by mistake. Each puffball must be sliced in two vertically to ensure that the interior contains no evidence of gill formation or a stem. Puffball flesh should be white throughout, and if any tinge of brown is apparent, the mushroom should be discarded. The exterior of Lycoperdon perlatum is similar to the shell of an egg; peel your puffballs before cooking. Sliced and sauteed in butter or cooked in gravy, they make an excellent topping for meats.